The Rolling Stones are keeping the spirit of late drummer Charlie Watts alive as they kick off their first tour without him.
The rockers played the first show on their long-delayed No Filter tour in St. Louis on Sunday night, and paid tribute to Watts by opening with an empty stage and a lone drumbeat, A large photo of Watts, who died on Aug. 24 at age 80, flashed on screen, After the second song, a rousing rendition of “It’s Only Rock ‘N’ Roll (But I Like It),” Mick Jagger, Keith Richards and Ronnie Wood came to the front of the stage. Jagger and Richards clasped hands as they thanked fans for the outpouring of support and love for Watts. The band then dedicated “Tumbling Dice” to Watts.
The concert itself featured the same driving beat personified by Watts, thanks to his replacement, Steve Jordan. The drummer may be new to fans but he’s hardly new to the Stones — Jordan has performed for years with Richards’ side project, X-Pensive Winos, along with many other leading acts. He even had Charlie’s blessing from prior projects. See the touching tribute to Charlie Watts, the heartbeat and the backbeat of the Rolling Stones.
See the emotional tribute here : https://loudwire.com/rolling-stones-emotional-tour-kickoff-without-charlie-watts-st-louis/
